Dr Alyssa Barry

Research Activities

Millions of children are dying from malaria each year and more than one third of the world's population are at risk for infection with the most virulent malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. A broadly effective malaria vaccine would be a major triumph for global public health yet years of research and clinical trials are yet to deliver such a vaccine. One of the major obstacles to this is the extraordinary genetic diversity and rapid evolution of the parasite. Our team utilises genomic, bioinformatic and population genetic tools to catalogue the range and distribution of this diversity, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. Our strong collaborative links to the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Institute of Medical Research is providing samples from malaria studies being conducted in the region. The research will help develop a framework upon which to plan and monitor malaria interventions and eventually elimination campaigns.